Wear part for earth working equipment

Abstract

An articulated lock for securing a wear member to earth-working equipment includes a plurality of bodies interconnected for pivotal movement between an extended orientation with the bodies aligned and a retracted orientation with the bodies folded. The lock in the extended orientation can engage an opening of the wear member at an inner hold position to secure the wear member to the earth-working equipment or an outer release position. In the folded orientation the lock disengages from the opening of the wear member. Each body has a slot and a tab and, in the extended orientation, the tab of each body is received in the slot of the other body to limit separation of the bodies.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wear member for earth working equipment, comprising:
 an exterior surface subject to wearing by engagement with the ground; 
 an interior surface for mounting the wear member on the earth working equipment; and 
 a hole opening to the interior surface and the exterior surface, the hole including opposing walls each having retainers that are spaced apart from one another and configured to secure a lock to the wear member in two distinct positions including release and hold positions, the release position of the lock secured to the wear member corresponding to the retainers retaining the lock outward from the interior surface to facilitate installation of the wear member on the earth working equipment, and the hold position of the lock secured to the wear member corresponding to the retainers retaining the lock inward from the release position to secure the wear member to the earth working equipment. 
 
     
     
       2. The wear member of  claim 1  wherein the retainers include an inner protrusion and an outer protrusion on each of the opposing walls, where the inner protrusion is closer to the interior surface than the outer protrusion. 
     
     
       3. The wear member of  claim 2  wherein the inner protrusions are spaced from the interior surface. 
     
     
       4. The wear member of  claim 2  wherein the protrusions on one opposing wall are symmetrical with the protrusions on the other opposing wall. 
     
     
       5. The wear member of  claim 2  wherein each of the protrusions includes at least a portion that has a convex curved configuration for engaging complementary end walls of the lock. 
     
     
       6. The wear member of  claim 1  including two spaced rearward extending legs that define a rearward opening cavity with the interior surface for receiving a portion of the earth working equipment. 
     
     
       7. The wear member of  claim 1  wherein the retainers are arranged to secure the lock in the release and hold positions corresponding to generally parallel orientations of the lock in the hole.